Wisconsin Justice Initiative supports juvenile corrections reform

Feb. 13, 2018 ​– ​Wisconsin Justice Initiative Executive Director Gretchen Schuldt released the following statement on the proposal to close Lincoln Hills and reform the state's juvenile corrections system.

The Wisconsin Justice Initiative supports the proposed reforms as a good first step to correcting the unacceptable abuses that occurred at Lincoln Hills.

WJI thanks State Rep. Evan Goyke (D – Milwaukee) for his leadership on this issue.

We remain extremely troubled by the failure of Atty. Gen. Brad Schimel and Gov. Scott Walker to take the mess at Lincoln Hills seriously. Schimel's failure to investigate fully and Walker’s failure to act sooner to stop the mistreatment of children in state custody is an earned blight on Wisconsin’s reputation.

Schimel blamed his less-than-halfhearted approach to the Lincoln Hills scandal on an ongoing FBI investigation. That investigation, however, should not have stopped him or Walker from acting long before now to end the abuses occurring at the juvenile prison. Their deliberate neglect is inexcusable.​Kudos to the ACLU of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for their work bringing the scandal into the daylight. Where the state failed its children, these organizations stood up for them.

The mission of the Wisconsin Justice Initiative is to advocate for progressive change in the Wisconsin justice system by educating the public about its real-life impacts and partnering with other organizations to achieve more just outcomes.